


Over the Years (Once Again)

by Birdie_Writes_Stuff



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: BelNedLux Siblings, FACE Family, Gen, M/M, Mentioned Denmark (Hetalia), Mentioned Norway (Hetalia), Mentioned Spain (Hetalia), Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-05-19 09:21:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19354084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Birdie_Writes_Stuff/pseuds/Birdie_Writes_Stuff
Summary: Everyone has a soulmate tattoo. The first words that your soulmate will say to you.But things happen, and answers are not always clear.Or: Matthew and Tim throughout the years.((Edited and will be reuploaded in chapters))





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys!  
> This story was actually for a Valentine's Day gift exchange!  
> I found that the original story was quite hasty, so I decided to redo it in chapters and publish them separately. I'll keep the old one up as well, just because lol.

_1914, Ontario, Canada. WW1_

 

_Who turned on the buzzers?_

Matthew’s head was pounding as he opened his eyes, but it wasn't the same kind of painful headaches he usually got when there was a big argument in his country. And it wasn't a hangover either.

Well he _did_ have that bottle of beer last night. But it was only a small one, not big enough to cause this stamped he was feeling. He's glad Arthur wasn't there, for he'd surely have Matthew's head. He was “too young to drink”, after all.

It was strange though, for no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't figure out why he had a headache. But Matthew was good at ignoring pain, so he sucked it up and sat up in his bed, the soft red covers falling off his shoulders. He shivered lightly when his feet touched the wooden floor.

Kumajiro popped up from under the sheets, his white fur sticking up at all angles.

“Food?” he asked through a toothy yawn.

Matthew chuckled softly. “I'll get some food for us as soon as I get dressed.”

The bear nodded, satisfied with the answer, and leapt off the bed and out of his room to the kitchen.

Matthews sighed when he was gone, rubbing his temples before searching through his dresser to find something to wear.

He jolted violently at a knock on his door as he was putting his trousers on, a very loud and quick one that did not help his head, thank you very much.

He grumbled lightly to himself, rushing down the stairs and opening the door. He blinked when he saw who was on the other side.

“Arthur?” he questioned. Arthur smiled slightly.

“Hello, Love. May we come in?”

 _We?_ Matthew nodded, stepping out of the way. “Of course. Would you like anything to drink? Tea?”

Arthur smiled more genuinely and nodded. “Tea sounds great, Poppet. Thank you.”

Matthew smiled and started towards the kitchen. He didn't bother to check who was behind him.

Once he was in the kitchen, Matthew headed towards the kettle on his little stove to heat some water.

He heard three sets of footsteps. Arthur's, and surprisingly he realized that another set belong to Alfred's, soft but noticeable. The last one seemed vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t put his finger on the owner.

He looked up towards his guests as he put the kettle to boil. Arthur entered the room, then came his brother, the one and only Alfred F. Jones, and then…

_...Francis?_

Matthew's blood felt like it had ran cold in his body. He hadn't really seen Francis ever since the War of 1812. The Frenchman had sent numerous letters over the years, was apparently even bold enough to show up at his door a few times before Arthur kicked him out. Matthew hadn’t known about the visits until a couple years ago when Arthur finally told him, but the letters either Arthur jad took away and burned them after reading, or Matthew didn't open them. It hurt too much.

And here he was, standing in his kitchen alongside his brother and other father-figure.

They all stood in the doorway, shifting nervously or not making eye contact. It felt too awkward for him.

_What are they doing here, anyways?_

Arthur must’ve grew tired by the silence because he cleared his throat and nudged Francis lightly with his shoulder, tilting his head towards Matthew.

“We'll give you two a minute before discussing the...other matter.” Arthur declared, dragging a very reluctant Alfred behind him. Which left Matthew with his former caretaker.

Francis shifted lightly and walked hesitantly towards him. “Mathieu…” he started.

Matthew stood still, unmoving as a tree as Francis slowly moved towards him. Even as he placed one hand on his shoulder, using the other to cup his face, tilting his head towards him, he barely dared to breath because-

“You’ve grown,” Francis whispered, “and I regret not being able to watch you.”

Matthew felt his eyes sting with unshed tears. After all these years, all the hurt and anger he had felt towards Francis dimmed. The dam of emotions had finally seemed to have broke.

Matthew quickly wrapped his arms tightly around Francis, burrowing his face in his shoulder to hide the tears that were starting to stream down his face.

For a frightening second, Francis hadn't responded to the hug. Matthew nearly pulled back, afraid that maybe he had acted to quickly, when he felt a pair of strong arms pull him closer. It made him want to cry harder.

“ _J_ _e suis désolé, je suis très désolé,”_ Francis kept whispering to him, and maybe those words _didn’t_ make up for everything he had done to him over the years; things like the Seven Years War and American Revolution were wounds that would take a lot of time to heal, but maybe, just maybe, it was a start of a new beginning between them.

A throat clearing made them jump back out of each other's arms. Arthur was standing with his arms crossed and looking mildly relieved. Alfred was leaning against the wall uncomfortably behind him.

“We need to discuss the other thing.” Arthur stated apologetically, face filled with regret.

Francis sighed and wiped his eyes. “ _Oui_ , I know. Take a seat, Mathieu.”

He nodded nervously at the change of atmosphere and took a seat at the table, the other three following. Kumajiro waltzed in slowly and jumped into his lap, staring the three down. Arthur cleared his throat, ignoring the bear.

“As you know, there was a lot of...conflict going on in Europe lately.” Arthur stated.

“No shit,” Alfred muttered under his breath. Matthew snorted at the disapproving look Arthur sent him.

Fracas ignored both of them and continued Arthur’s sentence, “We don’t know if you know yet. But war has been officially declared in Europe.” he finished quietly, gripping his hands tightly in his lap.

All the air felt like it was sucked out of Matthew’s lungs. He glanced over at Alfred, who clearly looked a little scared.

“I’m deeply sorry, Matthew. Since you're still a British colony, you have automatically joined as well.” Arthur said, eyes downcast.

He couldn’t believe it, he didn’t want to. He rubbed his hands down his face in distraught.

The dots finally started connecting. The headache wasn’t because of an argument, it was because of the declaration of _war._ The excitement, fear, anger. It was all tied into it.

“When do I go over?” he asked quietly. Kumajiro was staring at him, silent and grim, but his message was clear.

_You don't have to do this._

“You don’t have to go over, Poppet.” Arthur answered firmly instead of Kumajiro.

“But my people are,” he replied firmly, ignoring both of their protests. “And I’m not letting them do it alone.”

Arthur sighed. “I don’t know when they’ll leave.”

Matthew nodded and turned to Alfred. “Have you declared war yet?”

Alfred shook his head apologetically. “No. I want to help you guys, but...It’s complicated. I need Congress to agree first."

He nodded and glanced down at his hands clenched nearly white into fists in Kumajiro's fur.

“There’s much needed to be figured out,” Francis declared softly, “and we’ll all do it together.”

 _Such a laughable thought_ , Matthew mused bitterly, _together, as if they had always been a close family. As if it hadn't been a few decades ago they were all pointing guns at each other and saying things they hadn’t even had meant, probably ruining all of their -_ our - _relationships forever._

But still, he nodded with everyone else and offered them to stay the night.

 

_Amsterdam, Netherlands_

 

Tim tapped a pen on the table, a newspaper spread out in front of him.

In big black letters the words practically screamed at him. So hard to ignore. Oh, how he desperately  _wanted_ to ignore them.

_Another war, huh?_

A knock at the door alerted him to a guest. He sighed and stood up, forcing himself to answer the door instead of just ignoring the person like he wanted to.

“Hello?” he called, opening the door. To his surprise, Elise was standing on the other side, wide-eyed and shuffling nervously.

“Hello, brother. May I come in?” she asked politely.

He nodded and stepped aside. “You didn’t tell me you would be visiting. I would have cleaned.”

Elise laughed, relaxing slightly. “You're house is spotless. Do not worry about it. Besides, I wanted to ask you an important question.” she admitted, taking her coat off and hanging it up.

Tim gave a small nod and gestured to the living room. “Make yourself at home, then.”

Elise nodded and headed towards the sofa, waving him over. Tim obeyed, sitting next to her.

“How's Lux doing?” he asked, filling the silence.

“I think he’s doing pretty good. He misses you, you know. He wishes to visit soon.” she replied, smiling fondly. “He keeps trying your hairstyle. The spiked look."

He snorted. “I like his hair the way it is. Tell him to visit someday; the three of us can spend some time together.”

Elise’s smile widened. “I’ll be sure to tell him. He will be very excited. Speaking of excitement, I’m sure you’ve heard about the war?” she asked softly.  _Ah._

He nodded. “Yes. It's hard to miss.” he paused before adding, “But I do not want to join this war. I will be staying neutral.”

“Is that wise?”

“I and my bosses don’t want to be involved in it, so we will not be fighting. What about you?”

“I believe I will be staying neutral as well. Lux too.”

Tim nodded, “Just be careful. Please.”

She closed her eyes, “I could say the same to you.”

They didn’t talk for a few minutes afterwards. Tim was starting to get restless at the silence. _She’s never usually this quiet._

“Why don’t you stay for the night?” he offered, “I can make us dinner.”

Elise gave a small smile. “That sounds wonderful.“

 

_It would be years before the end of the Great War, and still not even the beginning of the second. Through all the hardships and suffering, things would never be the same as time moves on._


	2. Chapter 2

_1939, Ontario, Canada_

 

 _Oh, the irony,_ Matthew thought bitterly, _they just_ had _to call the last one the ‘War to End All Wars.’_

Perhaps he should’ve seen this coming. Tensions in Europe had been rising once again recently. It had only been a matter of time.

Now, he stood on his porch, watching the sun rays fade behind the trees. He noted numbly that the wind was picking up, making him colder than he already was, but he didn’t want to put a jacket on. The cold he was feeling couldn’t be solved with more clothes anyways.

Briefly he realized he was near full independent. He wouldn’t have to join the war this time. But Matthew remembered the pained and defeated faces of England and France, smudged with dirt and wrapped in bandages. How they nearly lost all hope, how exhausted they had been. He remembers his own struggles in the last war.

He wished it was just a dream, a cruel nightmare, but the devastating truth was glaringly obvious.

He rolled his shirt sleeve up to his elbow to gently brush his fingers over the words on it that were wrapped along the inside of his arm.

_“So, are you my guardian angel or something?”_

He knew he couldn't abandon his family, no matter how much pain they can cause him.

Matthew inhaled deeply before sighing, rolling his sleeve back down to hide his fate.

_Looks like I'm crossing the sea sooner than I wished._

 

_…_

 

_May 1940, London, England_

 

Matthew watched the tall man next to Arthur curiously. He remembers this man, he had seen him when he had just been a colony of France. Not personally of course, Francis had been (and still is,  if Matthew's being honest with hinself) much too protective of “his _petit garçon._ ”

He was still the tall, well built, and somewhat intimidating man Matthew remembers. Spiked hair and a small scar above his right eye, and that long blue and white scarf still fluttering around his neck. It was well taken care of too, since Matthew couldn’t see any holes or loose threads.

_He hasn't changed much since then, has he?_

Well, he had looked taller when Matthew was younger, and standing next to Arthur while they chatted discreetly definitely made him still seem a lot taller than he probably was, too. Arthurreally _is_ pretty short. Not that Matthew will ever say out loud. Ever. 

He had actually never caught a name to that man before, now that he thought of it. Curiosity seeped his way into him, urging him to find out who this person was.

The man did a short glance around the area before handing Arthur a stack of papers with a nod. It was about the war, no doubt, but that simple action made Matthew even more determined.

But as soon as Matthew took a step towards the two, the man and Arthur's conversation must've ended, because he turned on his heel and left.

Disappointment filled his mind, but Arthur was still there, so he continued on his way to him.

“Hello, Arthur.” he greeted. “Who was that?”

Arthur turned to him and nodded in greeting. “That was Holland. But je is better known as Tim. Have you ever met him?”

Matthew shook his head. “Not personally. I've only seen him from afar.”

Arthur hummed thoughtfully, counting the stack of papers in his hand. “Perhaps someday I could introduce you two. However I don't know if I fully trust him,” he sniffed.

Matthew smiled. “I'd still like to meet him.”

Arthur sighed. “Maybe someday…” he trailed off, turning back to watch the retreating figure.

Someday was all Matthew was asking for.

 

...

 

Days had ended up turning into months. It was long and tiring, and Matthew _really_ wished they could just get the whole war finished. And maybe get a nice, _long_ shower.

He was still meeting the Allies in London, away from the battlefield. Arthur told him in the last war that it’s a way that might help to get his mind away from the fighting. Matthew had taken it with a grain of salt then, and still does now.

Still, he had obeyed Arthur’s request for a meeting about a week ago, and that’s why he now found himself in a room of yelling countries, once again.

 _Can they ever stop yelling at each other for once, just for once, just to get some work done?_ He wondered, doing his best to ignore the pounding in his head.

Maybe if he hit his head hard enough on the table he would knock himself out and wouldn't have to deal with _any_ of this...

“Enough!” Arthur finally barked, - just as Matthew was seriously considering his idea. Good timing, indeed - scaring most of the nations.“We don’t have time for this! Sit down and we’ll _peacefully_ continue the meeting!”

A pissed Arthur was definitely not something anyone wanted to deal with, and soon enough everyone was back in their seats, the meeting smooth sailing from there. Matthew silently thanked Arthur for getting them to quiet down.

Eventually Arthur called the meeting to a close, stating that they’ll get more done tomorrow. Matthew doubted that, but he quickly stood and tried to retreat when he heard Arthur telling him to wait. Everyone looked curiously at the two of them, Francis more so, but Arthur shooed them out with an impatient gesture.

“I need you to do something for me,” Arthur said grimly after the others left.

Matthew raised a brow. “What is it?”

“I'm supposed to take in the royal family of Holland. As you know, things are not going well there, but…I may not end up doing so well either,” he sighed heavily. “If something goes wrong…” he paused to study him intently.

Matthew fought back the urge to shrink in back under the heat of the state. Instead, he forced himself to straighten his stance and hold the gaze. He was no longer a frightened child.

Arthur must've seemed satisfied with whatever he had been looking for. “I'll need you to take in Holland’s - and possibly my own - royal families.” he finished.

His eyes widened and he almost stuttered in his surprise. “Are you sure?”

“Positive. I trust you completely.”

And god, that was stressful but _nice_ too.

“I'll take them in,” he promised. “They’ll be safe in Canada.”

It looked like an invisible weight had been lifted off Arthur's shoulders. He gave Matthew a quick pat on the shoulder and turned to leave, but paused before facing him once more.

He was about to ask if something was wrong when Arthur took his hand and pulled him forward, wrapping him in an one-armed hug.

“I know. Thank you,” he whispered, squeezing lightly before letting go and leaving, his eyes not looking quite as heavy as they had been.

Matthew smiled at Arthur's back. The Englishman rarely showed affection like that, most probably because he didn't know how to truly express it. It had been different when he had been younger, a colony, but now the moments were stretched, yet just as meaningful. So Matthew will treasure that moment closely, along with all the others.

 

_September 1943, Italian Mainland_

 

Matthew sat next to his brother on a piece of rubble. Alfred looked kind of down, but it was understandable. It was war.

He thought they would sit in a peaceful silence, but when Alfred opened his mouth he could practically _feel_ the silly comment he was going to make. Usually he’d be appreciated of it, but tonight he just wanted his company, not jokes.

“Shut up,” he muttered, glaring at his brother.

Alfred snorted, “I didn’t say anything.”

“Don’t care. Shut up.”

Alfred ignored him and glanced around the area. Destroyed, just like their relationship. But both could be rebuilt, starting now. “This is much different than before, huh?" He wasn't talking just about the war, and they both knew it. 

Matthew grit his teeth in frustration. “What do you think?”

He knew he shouldn't be taking his anger out on Alfred. But he couldn’t help the frustration bubbling up. It was directed at everyone and no one all at once.

He had learned decades ago how destructive anger could be. Maybe even _he_ hasn't mastered that lesson yet though.

“I think you need to take a breather.” Alfred replied smoothly, unfazed.

And just like that, his rage simmered down. He sighed heavily. “I’m sorry.”

Alfred smiled softly at him in surprise. “It’s alright. I know you’re stressed. It’ll all be over soon.”

That was a lie and they both knew it, but Matthew appreciated the words all the same.

After all, words of comfort were always much better than words of anger.


	3. Pt 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long! This chapter and the next one *should* technically be one, but I'm hardly satisfied with this part. The next part was probably the one part I actually enjoyed writing the least, all in all.  
> Anyways, hope you enjoy!

_ November 1944, Netherlands _

 

Tim stared at the blurry figure in front of him. He couldn't remember exactly where he was, everything was weird, but this person...puzzled him.

His face and soft blond hair was covered in sweat and dirt, but his eyes seemed to glow even around the darkness of his vision.

_ His eyes...are violet? _

After years of waiting, someone was here. Someone is helping him.

“It’s alright, you’re safe,” the person whispered to him. “I’m going to help you.”

Tim let himself give a small smile for the first time in what felt like forever as his vision darkened and gave out.

As his dark thoughts were replaced with happier memories.

~~~

_ It was a gorgeous day. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and there was hardly a cloud in sight.  _

Perfect for gardening,  _ Tim thought excitedly as he put away his dinner plate, grabbing his tools and skipping out of his small house towards one of his favourite places. _

_ He ended up staying there for hours, humming quietly to himself as he set to work, not stopping until he heard two sets of giggles. _

_ “Hello, big brother!” _

_ Tim glanced up from his gardening to see Elise trotting up next to him, Lux right behind her. _

_ He smiled at them and patted the ground, putting aside the tools he had been using. “Hello, you two. Come join me?” _

_ They both grinned and plopped in front of him, giggling louder as Lux accidentally sat in a muddy spot in the dirt, staining his clothes. _

_ Tim shok his head in amusmant. “I should have some spare clothes. Nothing fancy, but it’ll do until you can wash your own. What are you both doing here?” _

_ Lux nodded, still laughing. “We came for a visit because we hadn’t seen you in awhile!” _

_ “Yep!” Elise chirped. “But we also have a question too. No one else answers us! They just smile and tell us that we’ll find out later.” _

_ “Yeah! So we decided to come to you.” _

_ Tim raised an eyebrow as he cleaned his shovel, and was only slightly smug at his next question, because there was  _ no way  _ they would come all this way just to ask a question. _

_ “Are you sure that is the only reason you came here?” _

_ Elise looked at him in surprise before mumbling shyly, “We wanted to spend a few nights at your house.” _

_ Tim smiled. “No problem. What’s your question, anyways?” _

_ Lux was practically vibrating where he was sitting. “What does the words on my body mean?” _

_ Tim glanced up from his tool. “What?” _

_ “The words!” Elise said. “Me and Lux got them not that long ago, but we don’t know what they mean!” _

_ “Words?”   _ What do they mean by…

Oh.

_ “Soulmate tattoos?” he asked. _

_ Lux huffed. “Tell us the meaning, please?” _

How can I resist those eyes?

_ Tim shrugged. “Well, those words are actually very important. Rumours are that those words will be the first thing your soulmate says to you.” _

_ Elise tilted her head. “What’s a soulmate?” _

_ He smiled. “From what I understand, a soulmate is someone you’re destined to be with. Someone who you will love and who will love you.” _

_ “Do you have words? Can we see them, big brother?” she asked. _

_ Tim nodded, unbuttoning his shirt to show them the words sprawled across his chest, right above his heart. They both looked at his words in awe. _

_ “‘ _ I’m going to help you’ _? Are you going to be in trouble?” questioned Lux, his brow furrowed. _

_ Tim smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry about it, Lux. Now, since you two seen mine, may I see yours?” _

_ “Yeah!” They both chirped, worries temporarily forgotten as Elise rolled up her dress sleeve to show her arm and Lux lifted his shirt up to reveal his side. Tim read the words carefully. _

“Aw, who’s this little puppy? He’s almost as cute as you!” _ Was written on Lux’s abdomen. Tim laughed lightly, moving to Elise’s. _

“I love your dress! It’s so nice, and it goes so well with that gorgeous clip!”  _ He was secretly glad that they added that last bit. He didn’t want to imagine how hard it would be for her to find her soulmate without it. _

It might still be hard,  _ he thought bitterly.  _ They could be human.

_ He shook himself when he realized they were waiting for his reaction. “They’re amazing. I’m sure they’re both wonderful people, whoever they are or will be.” _

_ They both smiled brightly and thanked him as they tugged at his sleeves to make him lie down in the grass with them. _

_ He laughed and rolled over onto his back to stare at the sky, letting his siblings hug his sides as he breathed in the scent of the newly blooming tulips nearby. He couldn’t care less that he was getting his clothes or hair dirty. _

_ They ended up staying like that for hours, talking about their hopes and dreams for the future, of their soulmate, even some simple things like their new favourite pastimes. _

_ Eventually, the three of them fell into a restful sleep as the sun started to set. _

_ Tim always had loved the feeling of this peace. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next part coming soon!


	4. Pt 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim wakes up from his dream.
> 
> (Takes place after the last chapter)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still not satisfied with this, but I don't want to go forever without posting it.  
> Besides, both of my favourite stories were updated today - Kinda inspired me too get this out lol  
> Hope you enjoy!

Tim gasped as his eyes snapped open.

_ Where am I? _

He was lying down on something hard but comfortable, covered with a wooly material. He shifted a few times before trying to sit up, but someone held him down firmly.

“It's alright, calm down,” the person -  _ A man,  _ Tim’s panicked mind supplied helpfully - said with his own barely concealed panic. “You're not in danger, you're safe. I'm a part of the Allies!”

Tim opened his mouth to let out a snarky comment, startling himself when he ended up hacking violently instead.

He realized his head was hurting like crazy, he couldn't think straight, and he also realized his throat was pretty sore. Probably from little to no usage, and he was certain coughing up a lung wasn't helping.

He didn't even realize the blond man had left his side until he came back with a glass of water and a wet cloth. He sat down on the bed as he placed the cool cloth gently on his forehead and handed Tim the glass, helping him raise it to his lips after he propped him up on a pillow. He guzzled down the drink, barely stopping to breath.

He could finally start to think clearly enough through his hazy thoughts that he should start finding out what was going on.

“So, are you my guardian angel or something?” he rasped, wincing slightly.

_ Well, I probably could've been a little bit nicer... _

The man froze before giving a small smile, his brilliant eyes twinkling.

“I'm not exactly an angel. I'm just Matthew. We've been looking for you for a while, Holland.”

A stab of confusion worked his way through his head. “How do you know?” he asked sharply.

Matthew just snorted. “I’m also known as someone else, just...less commonly. I'm also known as the Dominion of Canada.”

“Francis’ old colony? The one he talked about all the time?”

Matthew blushed sheepishly. “Yep, that's probably me. You're pretty lucky, you know. You were out for about five days since I found you. I’m glad you’re ok.”

Tim nodded tiredly as everything caught up with him. But he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep without knowing at least one more thing. An  _ important _ thing.

“My royal family,” he asked quietly. “How are they?”

“Princess Juliana and her two daughters are safe in Ottawa, my capital. The others wished to stay in England.” Matthew said dutifully, as if it were practiced, clapping his hands together. It took all Tim had not to flinch.“I also have wonderful news! Princess Juliana gave birth to a healthy baby girl!”

Tim tensed slightly, not daring to hope. “That’s wonderful! Where? Where was she born? Was she born on Dutch territory?”

Matthew shook his head. “No, but do not worry. The hospital she was born in was made extra-territorial. She will be eligible for the Dutch crown,” he promised slowly.

Tim let out a shaky breath and relaxed. He was utterly speechless. And very grateful towards him.

“Thank you.” he said, his throat feeling tight.

“No worries! Get some sleep now. You need it so you can heal.”

Tim agreed fully, laying back down with Matthew's help.

His hair was a mess, his head was throbbing, and he was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to move much for a while, but he was safe and protected here.

For the first time in a long while, Tim slept without nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a short chapter - I'll try to make the next one much longer!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *warning: mention of an injury. Just in case.*

_ January 1944, France _

 

Matthew limped silently into the tent Arthur required some Allies to meet up at. He didn't know where exactly he was at, if he was being honest. Somewhere in France, somewhere a little less damaged and destroyed than its other cities.

Sharp stabs of pain shot through his leg as he made his way to his seat. The bandage that was supposed to be protecting the wound there was filthy and starting to bleed through, becoming noticeable on his pants.

But he was just too tired to bother to change it. Too much effort.

_ The nurses would kill me, _ he thought dryly.

(If he had noticed the bullet in his leg earlier, it probably would’ve healed by now. But of course he hadn’t, and  _ of course  _ it just had to heal over before he had  _ actually  _ noticed.)

And now with the way Alfred’s stare burned into his figure he wanted to just stand up, turn around, leave and come back when a fuss wouldn’t be made. Or let the earth swallow him up. Either one sounded fine.

Didn’t even say hello to him, the ass. At least Francis waved.

All in all the meeting itself was pretty quick.

He ignored the beaten and tired looks that nearly everyone had etched permanently on their faces. Ignored the bandages and the mud and coiled muscles. Just added his own input when asked and waved off Alfred's, Arthur's, and Francis’ concerns about his injuries.

Of course Alfred had blabbed. Who was supposed to be the older brother, again?

Man, he was so _ exhausted.  _

Finally, Arthur wrapped the meeting up, but not before an added “I want to talk with you” to Matthew and headed ( _ More like sauntered, _ Matthew’s mind supplied helpfully,) out the door with Alfred and Francis flanking him.

He cursed himself for not expecting it, honestly.

Sighing, he stood up, careful of his injured leg, and began the process of slowly heading over to the flap.

A small yelp of surprise ended up escaping him as someone grabbed his arm firmly but not unkindly, and he stumbled as the person pulled him backwards.

“What the he-” he started as he whipped around, knocking his arm out of the person's grasp. He was prepared to give a piece of his mind at whoever decided to pull that little stunt, but paused as he spotted a familiar blue and white scarf.

_ Oh. It's Tim. _

He looked worried, but the only thing that truly gave it away was the fact that he was clutching at his scarf like it was a security blanket.

“Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you,” he seemed sincere, but his eyes were dark.

Matthew shrugged sheepishly, trying to shift his balance to his good leg. “It's ok. Is something the matter?”

Tim looked down and shrugged himself, his hold on his scarf loosening.

Matthew simply waited patiently as Tim finally shook his head, looking up to meet his eyes.

“How is the royal family doing? The  princess?”

Matthew blinked once before smiling reassuringly. “She’s in very good hands. They all are. I'm sure.”

Tim's lips pursed together. “Don't make me regret this.”

Matthew hesitated before smirking and spinning on his heel. “Of course!” he said over his shoulder, quickly limping out of the tent so he wouldn’t get teased for being slow.

And if a nagging thought at the back of his head told him to go back and just  _ stay, just talk,  _ Matthew ignored that too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been kinda flexible updating this story so far, mostly because this was just a project I could come back and work on any time, since the original is already posted.  
> I've recently had inspiration for a YJ series and have been working on that, but this will also be updated from time to time as well, it may just take longer than originally planned.
> 
> (Also, about the "older brother" part. Personally, I headcanon Matthew to be the older brother, but you can ignore that bit if you don't agree! :) )
> 
> Thank you guys for reading, hope you enjoyed! Sorry for the short chapter!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tulips and skating.
> 
> It's probably exactly as it sounds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Matthias - Denmark  
> Antonio - Spain  
> Lukas - Norway

_1945, Amsterdam, Netherlands_

 

"Elise?" Tim sighed as he tucked his newspaper away. “What do you think would be a good way to show appreciation?”

Elise looked up from her book curiously, “Appreciation? It depends on who it is.”

Tim blushed slightly. “Matthew.”

Lux snickered quietly from the kitchen. “Oh big brother,” he practically sang, “You have thousands of flowers! Send him some tulips!”

Tim tilted his head, “Would he like that?”

“Are you kidding?” Elise asked. “He'd love it! I don't know him too much, but he seems the type to be touched by any gift.”

Lux snorted as he walked in to where the two of them were sitting, trying carefully not to trip over Pelze. “Careful, Pelze. Anyways, he cares an awful lot for you. He would love the flowers.” he assured, smiling. “Now! Dinner is ready! I tried making something Francis taught me one time. Tell me if it’s good.”

Elise giggled as she put her book on the coffee table and pulled Tim towards the kitchen table, “I’m sure it’s delicious. This is fun, yes? It’s been so long since we've had a family meal!”

Tim hummed as he took a bite out of his meal, “It _has_ been too long,” he agreed.

“And It’s only been a few months since the war,” Lux reminded, gesturing for Pelze to stay in the living room. “We had been a little tied up. We could start doing things like this more often now.”

“That’d be wonderful. How about every two or three months? We try to do something like this?”

Tim nodded. _That would be lovely._

They shared a few more words as they ate. Elise ended up excusing herself to bed after dinner, Lux following not long after, leaving Tim to the dirty dishes and his thoughts.

_Tulips...It’s not much, but I still hope he likes them. I’ll ask the princess what she thinks._

 

…

 

It would be a few days until he finally was able to ask her, and she had accepted his idea.

And _that_ is how Tim ended up sailing across the ocean to Canada with thousands of tulips aboard with him. A wonderful story that was practically eaten up later by Lux, Elise, Francis, Matthias - hell, even Arthur, Antonio, _and Lukas_ found it amusing.

(He could never guess why. When he adked, they only gave each other knowing looks before grinning. Asses.)

He jumped off the ramp at the docks instead of walking off. He was too excited to see Matthew’s reaction to do something like walking.

“Some people have already been notified of our arrival." the captain told him as he stepped onto the dock. "There will be people here soon."

Tim nodded, “I have let someone know I was arriving as well.”

“You got a lady friend?” the captain teased.

“Not quite.” He spotted a familiar curl and waved the person over, “Matthew!”

The next thing he knew was that he was wrapped up in a tight hug, “Tim! I didn’t expect to see you so soon! How are you doing? You look well!”

He laughed and detached himself. He watched the captain smile and walk away at the corner of his eye. “I’m doing well. And I came because I have something to give you.”

“Oh, you didn’t need to give me anything.” Matthew blushed.

Tim smiled, “I know. But it is thanks for helping me during the war. So, for my and the royal families gratitude, we present to you the finest tulips.” He dragged him over onto the boat where they were storing the thousands of flowers and buds, recently bloomed or ready to bloom very soon.

Matthew looked absolutely speechless. “There’s so many.”

Tim nodded, “I hope you’re okay with it.” he added.

For a split second he worried that maybe it was too many, but for the second time in less than an hour, he felt arms wrap around him.

“They’re absolutely gorgeous! I can’t thank you enough.” Matthew said.

Tim smiled softly, “You don’t need to thank me. They are our thank you gift to you and your people.”

“I’ll put them in Ontario. They’ll look lovely there.”

“I can see it already. They’ll look amazing.”

Matthew squeezed him lightly and stepped back, “Will you be staying? Maybe you can teach us how to properly plant them too,” he laughed.

He hummed. “I think I will stay. I’m sure a few would look lovely in your garden.”

Matthew grinned, “I always wanted to add tulips.”

“And now you can.”

 

_1950, Nova Scotia, Canada_

 

“Come on, you're only young once!” Matthew laughed, passing the extra pair of sharp black skates into Tim’s arms and picking up his own.

Tim scrunched his nose and held the skates delicately, “That doesn’t work for someone who’s practically immortal and stuck in their 20’s.”

Matthew rolled his eyes, “Well, it won’t kill you. Since you’re immortal and all,” he teased.

Tim stared at the bundle in his arms. Then back at Matthew, ready to tell him that maybe they should probably do something else, something a little _safer_ , but the words all died in his throat when he seen the Canadian give his famous Puppy Dog Eyes. Arthur _had_ warned him when he had been drunk-rambling that last time, he supposed. He snorted at the memory.

 

...

 

_It was about 1900. They had time to kill, so they ended up going to a bar._

_“Damn kids,” Arthur had muttered, taking a long gulp of his (4th?) drink._

_“What happened now?” Tim had asked, leaning his cheek on his hand._

_“Their eyes - they have me wrapped around their little fingers, don’t they?” Arthur had continued. “Especially Matthew. “_

_“...Who’s Matthew?”_

_“One of the oldest ones. The one you need to watch because he’ll get you when you let your guard down. He’ll use those eyes of his, and you’ll be wrapped in too.”_

_Tim had snorted. “Seems like a troublemaker.”_

_“No. Matthew’s nearly an angel.”_

_“Really?”_

_“Yes. Such a good lad,” Arthur had sighed. “They’re all such good kids.”_

_“Sounds nice.”_

_“Yeah…”_

 

…

 

He sighed in defeat, “As long as no one gets hurt.”

Matthew nearly jumped up and down, “It'll be fun! I promise! No hockey or anything, just same plain ol’ safe skating!”

Tim's lips twitched upwards as he took his boots off to replace them with the ~~knife shoes~~ skates.

Tim never actually recalled skating often before, which did not help the nervousness he felt. But if Matthew got this excited over something, there was no harm in trying.

So he mustered all the courage he had and stepped onto the ice, trying to follow to where Matthew was standing.

However, it seemed that lady luck was not on his side today.

He slipped, almost doing a two step and throwing his arm out to catch his balance. A strike of panic overwhelmed him and he was falling-

To his surprise, he didn't feel like he hit the ground. He glanced up to see Matthew smiling down at him.

“I told you you'd be safe.”

And oh, that smile suited him so well.

He coughed, hoping he wasn't as red as he thought he was. “Thank you.”

Matthew nodded and hoisted him up, “Of course. Here, take my hand.”

Oh boy, he was _definitely_ blushing. Still he took the offered hand and grasped it firmly in own.

Matthew smiled and started in a slow glide, propelling himself with his feet. Tim watched closely as he was dragged along, trying to do the same movements, still slipping and sliding, but at least he wasn’t falling.

After about two hours, he finally got the hang of skating on his own. He was still unbalanced and still slipped, but he was much better than when he first stepped on.

He watched Matthew skate next to him gracefully. He reminded him of a bird taking flight.

“How are you liking it?” Matthew asked.

“It’s not so bad.” he decided, furrowing his brow as he concentrated on holding his balance.

“Would you like to do it again sometime?”

 _Would he?_ Admittedly, he was hardly good at it. But he enjoyed skating with the other, and skating _was_ pretty fun.

“I’d love to,” he decided.

Matthew smiled brightly, “Cool! And don’t worry, you’ll get better over time. You’re doing amazing anyways!”

He doubted that, but accepted the compliment nonetheless. He wondered how Elise and Lux would enjoy skating.

They continued skating until the sun started setting and Matthew finally retired from the ice, helping Tim off too.

“That was amazing. Thank you.” Matthew told him softly.

“It was,” he agreed, “and I look forward to another time.”

Matthew grinned and handed him a thermos. “Hot chocolate.” he explained as he sat on a fallen tree log.

Tim took it and sat next to him. Matthew ended up leaning against him as Tim told the stories of the stars, watching him with wonder as he pointed out certain ones.

Oh yes, Tim was definitely looking forward to the next time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've pretty well decided to finish posting this story and than work on the others.
> 
> I can't guarantee that this will stick kaghdhd.
> 
> Anyways, I think I'm going to try to make a program and stick to it. Hopefully I'll be more organized lol.
> 
> Also, it's really late, so I'm sorry for any mistakes. They will be fixed as soon as possible.


End file.
